A runaway parrot has been reunited with her owner after hailing a taxi home - in a roundabout manner.

African Grey parrot Evie escaped from the home she shares with her devastated owner Peter Jackson, 68, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, three weeks ago after she was spooked by a noise in the garden.

But the pair have now been reunited after the open road proved too much for Evie, 11, who decided to hail herself a cab home.

African Grey Evie made a bid for freedom and escaped from the home she shares with her devastated owner Peter Jackson, 68, in Tamworth, Staffordshire, three weeks ago

Taxi driver Pete Knight was stunned when the bird flew onto his shoulder and shouted: 'Hello!'

And although Evie's conversational skills weren't quite enough to tell Mr Knight her address, he was able to eventually reunite her with her worried owner.

Owner Mr Jackson had been frantically searching for Evie ever since she escaped from her Tamworth home on Easter Sunday - but now the pair are together again thanks to Mr Knight and UK charity Problem Parrots.

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The grandfather-of-one explained that Evie was sitting on his shoulder while he was in the back garden, got spooked by something and flew away.

'It was absolutely terrible when she took off. I got her so I would have some company after my wife passed away in 2013.

Taxi driver Pete Knight said he was stunned when the bird flew onto his shoulder and shouted: 'Hello!'

'I'm so grateful for what everyone has done and I'm absolutely thrilled to have her back - she's my soul mate.'

Taxi driver Pete said: 'She flew down and landed heavily about ten feet away from me then casually walked along the road right to my feet, looked up and me and said 'hello'.

'I looked down and said 'hello' back!'

Evie had a few feathers missing and a concerned Mr Knight put his hand out to her. She jumped onto his hand, walked up his arm and then hopped onto his shoulder.

He added: 'My biggest concern was that she might fly off - I just wanted to get her to safety. I got into the car with her still on my shoulder and phoned a friend who was sat at the end of the phone waiting for a punchline as he thought I was joking.'

Luckily a friend knew someone with an aviary who could safely house her while Mr Knight turned detective on Facebook in a bid to track down her owner.

Although Evie's conversational skills weren't quite enough to tell Mr Knight her address, he was able to eventually reunite her with her worried owner

Welfare Officer at charity Problem Parrots Rebecca Hartill-Speak spotted the post and contacted Mr Knight and then launched an appeal online and in a local paper.

Mr Jackson spotted the article and Rebecca liaised on his behalf to confirm it was Evie.

Ms Hartill-Speak, 46, said: 'I got very emotional seeing Evie and Peter reunite as I lost my own blue parrot Eric three years ago.

'I love parrots, they're like your children. I feel that when I successfully reunite owners with their parrot I'm doing it in memory of Eric.'

Mr Jackson said: 'Evie seems very happy to be home and is back sitting on my shoulder chatting away, near my hearing aid, so I can hear her.'